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Plan To Convert Historic Batavia Factory Into Apartments Could Stall On Final Vote

CHICAGO (CBS) — A legal maneuver might throw a wrench into plans to convert the old Campana factory in Batavia into new apartments.

The Batavia City Council was scheduled to vote Monday night on the zoning amendments needed to make way for the $30 million project to convert the site into 80 market-rate and low-income apartments.

A protest by a neighboring landowner means 10 votes likely will be needed – one more than the 9-5 Committee of the Whole vote that sent the proposal to the full council.

Ald. Scott Salvati, who was among the five to vote against the project in committee, said he’ll do the same Monday night, because he doesn’t feel he has enough information to approve it.

“There’s a lot of people kind of drawing these lines on affordable housing that, if you vote no, you’re against affordable housing; which is the furthest from the truth,” he said. “I just don’t think the plan as proposed makes a lot of sense.”

Supporters of the project said they already have postponed the final vote to answer public questions. Salvati said a vote to reject the plan might prompt the developer to come back with a plan that addresses concerns about traffic, property values, and living conditions.

“My hope is, from my personal point of view, is that this will make the developer change some of the things that they’re doing, or maybe it goes away,” he said.

Salvati said he does not know if the other four aldermen who voted against the project in committee will do so again Monday night.

“I guess we’ll see what happens tonight. I don’t know if anyone will change their vote or not,” he said.

Nancy HartyI was a fan of WBBM Newsradio 780 long before joining the staff as a reporter in January, 2006.
I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, graduated from...More fromNancy Harty